“Trust me. Meeting in plain sight is safest. A man hitting on a beautiful woman at the bar and striking up conversation—far easier to explain than meeting me alone in a dark stairwell.” He pauses. “As I’m sure you’re aware.”
“What are you implying?”
Silence.
Arrabella swallows. She feels trapped. Claustrophobic suddenly. She shoots another glance at the door. Patrick will either be holding the elevator or on his way back by now.
“Fine,” she says quickly. “How will I know you?”
“A blazer—purple orchid in the lapel.”
The suite door opens. “Arra?” Patrick says.
Blood drains from her head. She lowers her phone, ending the call with her thumb. His gaze follows her hand.
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah—it’s just Mary again. Legal drama. She’ll calm down.” She slides her phone back into her purse, avoiding her fiancé’s eyes.
It’s Criminal:
The Mystery of theBlack Orchid
A Trinity Scott & Gio Rossi True Crime Production
CONT. Reenactment—Theo Pappas—Crew Cabin
Theo phones Maxine. His call kicks to voicemail. He leaves a message.
“Hello, my love. When you have a moment, could you let me know who asked to have a gift box placed in Lillith McGregor’s suite?”
Theo ends the call as another ping notification sounds on his laptop. His attention shoots back to the monitor. Finally, there’s movement in the Orion suite.
Theo leans forward and watches as a burly, sallow-complexioned man enters the room. His jaw is broad and his hair is cut in a military buzz. He wears a tan jacket and jeans and carries a large duffel bag, which he sets on the bed. Theo checks the manifest. It’s Avi Galev, traveling onan Israeli passport. Profession listed simply as “businessman—telecommunications.”
Theo watches Avi visually scan the room. His gaze goes to the railing above the window. Theo tenses, fearing the guest will notice the bug. But his phone pings. Avi reaches for his mobile, checks a message. He then disappears into the bathroom.
Theo says a brief, silent thank-you to the gods for the interruption.
Moments later Avi emerges with a towel around his waist.
Theo does not shy away from observing him dress. His physique is ripped—this is clearly someone who takes working out very seriously. Theo notes a scar on his abdomen, another across his left bicep, another puckering down the side of his neck. Caution begins to whisper through Theo. The man’s a fighter. A warrior.
From his duffel, Avi Galev selects a pair of light dress pants, followed by a white golf shirt. He finishes drying his head with the towel, then dons his clothes. He takes a summer blazer from his bag. It’s an unexpected shade of soft rose pink. He shrugs into the blazer, which has clearly been tailored specifically for the breadth of his shoulders.
Theo zooms the camera in as Avi extracts a small, rigid-looking pouch from the side of his bag. He unzips the pouch, flares it open, and checks what appear to be two medical injection pens inside—similar to EpiPens. He opens a second pouch that holds several small canisters of liquid. With swift movements he inserts two of the mini canisters into the pens.
Before Theo can zoom in even closer, Avi zips up the case with the pens, and slips it into his jacket pocket.
Curious.
Then he does something that makes Theo lean sharply forward. He unscrews one of the leather handles attached to his duffel. From inside the piping tube that runs around the bag, he carefully extracts a length of what appears to be a thin metal cord—similar to piano wire, or guitar string. He affixes a toggle to each end of the cord. Avi fists a toggle in each hand and does a rapid maneuver, yanking the wire tight. Theo gasps and jerks back in his seat. He covers his mouth with his hand, eyes wide.
It’s a garrote.
Avi is rehearsing with it. The man does another quick test, raising the cord, yanking it back down, then hard upward with a fluid, swift movement—as though putting it over someone’s head, and slicing it across the neck of an imaginary person sitting on his bed.
Theo’s mouth goes dry. He swallows as his pulse begins to gallop. He glances at his door, alarmed, unsure. Has he bitten off more than he can chew?
